Music
Press
full versions of reviews (concerts and albums) available at www.kries.info
�Journalists love to use the "X meets Y"or "A's answer to B" formula to describe bands,
but �, this is a band who really don't sound like any other.�
Ian Anderson, fRoots, UK
"Chants never sounded so explosively good until Croatian ethno-rock band Kries hit the stage to close the second night. Their performance was hypnotic and addictive." Looi Sue-Chern, The Star, Malaysia
�Ever since the first experiments in folk-rock in the 1960s, some of the finest new music
around the world has come from artists who mix local, traditional styles with
contemporary influences. Kries are an original Croatian band who set out to take the
process to its limits, throwing in so many influences that each song is a surprise.
Robin Denselow, The Guardian, UK
�Robin's review ends, 'this is a band to watch' and he could have added, 'literally and
figuratively speaking'., Charlie Gillett, Sound of the World
"...Kries was the more organic, playing a folk-rock that used ethnic pipes and stringdriven
things, as well as electric guitars and drums, and developing anthem-like songs
with an insistent pulse.
Lyrical themes such as love forbidden by political circumstances and frontman Mojmir
Novakovic's trance-like involvement produced a spiritual effect of considerable power."
The Herald, Scotland, UK
"�Croatia's Kries, a hybrid orchestra of equally versatile musicians playing an
unclassifiable brew. Their singer Mojmir Novakovic is a man of disarming sincerity
whose mystical laments for his country were transformed into infectious rock dances
played by guitars, knee violin, violin, more goat-skin village pipes and pounding
heartbeat drums."
The Scotsman, Scotland, UK
"There last night's performance sent entire audience into a state of trance, like each of
them has listened to their personal shaman." Igor KozliÄ?ić, muzika.hr
"Mojmir Novaković i Kries have a rare gift of getting deep into the essence of (traditional)
songs. Their concerts are passionate rituals in which even people with less imagination
can easily travel through the space and time." Denis Derk, Vecernji list - various
Discography
Albums:
Ivo i Mara (Kopito records)
Kocijani (Kopito records)
Songs included in various compilations (Balkan Beats, fRoots...)
Airplay worlwide
Photos
Bio
Together with some of his college friends, at the beginning of '90's Mojmir Novakovic started a band Legen (www.legen.org) and in 1995. he initiated Ethnoambient (www.ethnoambient.net) festival dedicated to tradition based music from Croatia and all around the World. This festival is still successfully introducing different cultures to each other celebrating beauty of cultural diversity.
In 2002 members of Legen, who toured for 10 years all around the World (Spain, Mexico, Columbia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia...), decided to take a break from each other and Mojmir formed a new group of musicians which got a name Kries (Bonfire in archaic form of Croatian language).
In the first year of this band's existence, they made music for Konjanik (Horseman), movie by well known Croatian director Branko Ivanda and soon followed their first album Ivo i Mara (Kopito 2004) which got very supportive reviews in international media. In 2005 they were awarded by Croatian Music Award Porin for Konjanik oms in the category The best original music for theatre, movie and TV.
Their second album Kocijani created with the cooperation of Martin Swan as a music producer was released in January 2008 (Kopito records) and already is receiving excellent reviews worldwide.
Since 2003. the band performed at solo concerts and festivals (United Islands, Colours of Ostrava, Balkan Fever, Druga Godba, Celtic Connections...) in Croatia, Germany, UK, Ireland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria...)
Mojmir Novaković and KRIES base their creation on traditional lyrics, Slavic mythology, and Mediterranean traditional instruments with electronics being integral part of it.
They believe that ancient scripts and traditional chants offer numerous keys for discovering good quality of life and that it is up to each of us to find them and learn to apply those valuable teachings into here and now.
www.kries.info
www.myspace.com/kries144
Links
